Last.



F. A. HATCH.

LAST.

APPLICATION man DEC. 29. 1915.

. 1,230,706. I PatentedJune 19, 1917.

z 0 IIIIIIIIIIIV n iii FREDERICK A. HATCH, 0F PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAST.

. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 11110 19, 1917.

Application filed December 29, 1915. Serial No. 69,267.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. HATCH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Plymouth, county of Plymouth, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Lasts, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the'drawings representing like parts in each of theseveral views.

In the practice of the present day systems of shoe manufacture, e. 9., the Goodyear welt system, it is well known that the period of effective service of the lasts employed is limited by the disintegration and destruction of the fiber and texture of the wood thereof at certain localized points where the larger tacks are driven to hold the shoe parts in place, for each shoe that is fastened on the last; the constantly repeated driving of such larger tacks into the wood tending to create more or less of a cavity as well as rendering the fiber of the wood incapable of longer holding the tacks reliably in place so that the last has to be discarded. To

remedy this defect and'extend the period of service of the last it has been heretofore proposed to insert in the wood of the last at such localized points plugs or pieces of more durable or relatively indestructible I material and for this purpose slugs of lead or like relatively soft amorphous metal have been suggested. So far as I am aware however no means has hitherto been devised whereby it has been practicably to embed I and secure such plugs of lead or the like in a manner whereby they are securely and immovably positioned in thewood of the last, or in a manner simple and inexpensive enough to be practicable for commercial last manufacture. A prime object of the present invention is therefore to provide improved means whereby plugs of lead or like relatively soft non-crystalline metal adapted to take a proper frictional'hold on the points of the tacks driven therein, maybe embedded and held reliably in the wood of the last without reference to any metallic protector plate that may ormay not be superposed on the bottom of the last, such provision being also of the simplest possible character, involving a minimum of expense for theapplication and fitting in of the lead plugs. To this end'I form plugreceiving holes at the proper points in the last and. form the bottoms thereof and the down line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

wardly projected ends of the plugs with cooperative provision whereby as the plugs are driven in place a member or portion at the loWer ends thereof isspread out and caused to project laterally and embed itself peripherally in the fiber of the wood so that the plug is held against possibility of displacement by the constant impacts thereon as the successive tacks are driven in place. In accordance with my invention I preferably equip the lower end of the lead plug with a plate or washer of relatively hard metal such as steel that is adapted to spread out as the plug is driven "to. the bottom of the hole, so as to serve not only for holding the plug against displacement but also affording a reinforced base and support for the bottom of the plug whereby any likelihood of the further embedding of the plug in. the wood so that its top would be depressed below the surface of the last, is avoided. The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be thereafter pointed out in the appended claims.

-Referring to the drawings:

; Figure 1 is a perspective view of a last equipped with my invention;

' Fig. .2 is a partial transverse section on Fig. 3 is a similar section showing the formation of the lead plug and the steel washer cooperative therewith before I the plug is fully driven home;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view somewhat enlarged of-the lead plug with a steel washer assembled therewith ready to be applied to a hole in a last;

7 Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the plug and washer assembled as in Fig. 4c; and

Fig. 6 is a similar side elevation showing the:plugand washer members before they are i fitted together.

The last L may be of any usual or suitable form either of the hinge or block type, the latter being shown, and equipped with provision for use with any desired system of shoe manufacture, though being shown as formed with a metallic heel plate P with the wood at the forward portion of the last uncovered as is usual in the Goodyear welt system- In the practice of my invention I bore holes of suitable dimension, preferably about one half inch in diameter and approximately the same in depth in the wood ofthe last at,

those points where the localized disintegra tion and destruction of the wood of the last ordinarily occurs, .-e., at the center of the heel portion of the last and through the hole in the metallic heel plate P as indicated at 10, at an intermediate point in the length of the last as indicated at 11 at the points 12,

13, 14 extending across the last near the front thereof, and at the point 15 a little distance up the heel of the last; though it is to be understood that these selected points are merely illustrative and that the plugs of lead or other soft metal may be inserted at any required points in the last where in the different systems of shoe manufacture the disintegration of the wood of the last is likely to'occur. In accordance with my in vention I form the bottoms of the plug receiving holes flat, or substantially so, as is usual and as indicated at 16. The plugs 17 of lead or like soft metal are formed with a central projection 18, shown as circular in .cross section, at its bottom. On this projection is-fitted a washer or plate 19 preferably of steel centrally apertured to snugly fit over the projection 18 and having a series of corner projections 19. This washer 19 is of a Y size so that when the corner projections 19 are bent up to some little angle, 6. 9., about forty-five degrees as shown, they will come some little distance within the section of the plug projected, and thus the plug 17 equipped with such a washer with downwardly extending projections 19 may be fitted into the holes 10. The plugs 17 are preferably made of a length so that when the downwardly projecting prongs 19' of the washers '19 come to rest at the bottom of the plug receiving hole, the top of the plug projects some little distance above the surface of the last as indicated at 20, this projection being of an extent so that as the plug is driven home, the top of the plug is left substantially flush with the surface of the last or the surface of the heel plate P as the case may be. As the plug is thus driven home the corner prongs or projections 19 are flat- 'tened out and caused to spread and embed themselves in the adjacent fiber of the wood of the last as indicated at 21. At the same time the'central: projection 18 which is ofa length to extendsonie little distance beyond the washer 19 is headed or upset by engage- 1 downward into the wood-is avoided, these being features of importance as will be readily understood in view of the constant 1H1? pacts and jars which have to be received by the leaden plug and the adjacent portion of the last as the tacks are driven thereinto in stamped to fit said projections of the plugs.

The article thus produced is complete and ready to be supplied to last users or makers, requiring for application to the lasts, only an ordinaryboring bit of proper size, and a hammer to drivehome the plugs in the holes as produced. It is to be understood that while I have referred herein to the plugs as of lead this is merely illustrative and intended to typify any suitablerelatively soft metal of an amorphous nature adapted to take a frictional hold on thepoints of the tacks as they are driven thereinto to hold the same securely, and being at the same time of a nature so that the holes as produced in the plug by the tacks may be readily obliterated and closed up by heating or hammering downthe head of the plug to a small extent so that the leaden plug .is thuspractically indestructible and capable of indefinite service. It is thus possible to use smaller tacks than has heretofore been the case where the tacks had to'be driven into'the wood, the texture of which was more or less deteriorated by previous tacks and hence not only is it insured that the tacks will always be reliably held, but a substantial saving in expense for tacksis possible, since smaller sizes can be used.

By the use of the present improved plugin the hole 10 that passes through the metallic heel plate P anadditional important advantage is obtained in that the top of the lead plug can just be made perfectly flush with the surface of the plateand hence thesurface of the, innersole in contact there-- with is left smooth and even. This, is an important point since in the ordinary form of Goodyear welt last with the hole:10

through the heel plate, and the heel plate being-of some little thickness, with the great pressure that is applied when the shoe is heeled, the inside surface of the innersole is to some extent forced through this hole in the heel platecausing more or less of an objectionable bulging excrescence or projection at thispoint in .the innersole It will beunde'rstood that the plugs at 12, 14, are for the'purpose of receiving the tacks to which the toe wire is secured and that the use of these plugs at this point is particularly importanasince these tacks receive a considerable lateral. strain and hence 7 require to be set into material that will hold them securely. I do not desire to be limited to the precise structural details herein exhibited in all respects and intend the present embodiment to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, referring to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description, to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A last having a local tack receiving portion thereof formed with a plug receiving hole of substantial depth, and a plug of relatively soft metal fitted in said hole, and having associated with the bottom thereof a plate of relatively hard metal bent to fit into said hole ahead of said plug, and formed to be pressed out laterally by the seating of the plug in said hole to hold said plug against displacement and to serve as a bottom reinforce for the plug receiving hole.

2. A last having a local tack receiving portion thereof formed with a plug receiving hole of substantial depth, a plug of relatively soft metal to be fitted in said hole having at its bottom a projection, and a washer of relatively hard metal fitted over said projection, said projection being of a length to extend therethrough to some little extent, said washer formed with corner portions bent downwardly and inwardly so that the washer fits into said hole ahead of said plug, said corner portions being adapted to be flattened out and pressed laterally into the adjacent fiber of the wood of the last and said plug projection being adapted to be headed over said washer as the plug is seated'in the bottom of said hole.

3. A last having a local tack receiving portion formed with a hole of substantial depth, and a plug of relatively soft metal having associated with the bottom thereof a member of relatively hard metal distorted so as to fit into said hole ahead of said plug, said member and said plug having cooperative provision whereby as the plug is seated in the bottom of said hole, said member has its form changed so as to be embedded in the adjacent fiber of the wood of the last and said plug is held secured thereto and fixed in the last thereby.

4. A last equipped with a metallic heel plate having a tack receiving hole therethrough, said hole extending to a substantial depth in the wood of the last, and a plug of relatively soft metal fitted in said hole with a plate of relatively hard metal interengaged with the bottom thereof, said late being distorted to permit insertion t ereof into said hole and adapted to be flattened out and beiembedded in the adjacent wood of the last as said plug is seated, the length of the plug being such that its top will then be substantially flush with the surface of said heel plate, and said plate serving as a reinforce for the bottom of said hole to support said plug from recession therein.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

- FREDERICK A. HATCH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

